Abstract

The term” network architecture” is commonly used to describe a set of abstract principles for the technical design of protocols and mechanisms for computer communication. A network architecture represents a set of deliberate choices out of many design alternatives, where these choices are informed by an understanding of the requirements [CerfKahn74, Clark88]. In turn, the architecture provides a guide for the many technical decisions required to standardize network protocols and algorithms. The purpose of the architecture is provide coherence and consistency to these decisions and to ensure that the requirements are met.
The design of today’s Internet technology was guided by an Internet architecture that was developed in the 1970s, under the Internet research program of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the US Department of Defense. Current reality and changing requirements are eating away at the viability of the original Internet architecture. Much of the coherence of the original architecture is being lost in a patchwork of technical embellishments, each intended to satisfy a particular new requirements.

Date

2000

Authors

Robert Braden, David Clark, Scott Shenker, John Wroclawski

Journal

White paper, DARPA